


A Promise

by CrypticGabriel



Series: Sheith Month 2018 [4]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: #SheithMonth2018, First Crush, M/M, No Romance, Pre-Kerberos Mission, Self-Doubt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-06
Updated: 2018-07-06
Packaged: 2019-06-06 06:35:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15188930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrypticGabriel/pseuds/CrypticGabriel
Summary: It's very nerve-wracking, waiting for the results of Keith's exam. He knows that the whole world is seemingly against him, and he's forever grateful that Shiro is there to help him prove them all wrong.For Sheith Month. Prompt 6 - Pre-Kerberos // Post-Voltron





	A Promise

_He’s been sitting out here for_ what feels like forever, anxiously looking at the bulletin board and waiting for his instructor to post the grades. Keith has been fidgeting and gnawing on the inside of his cheek in an attempt to not pace around the hallway. He’s already gotten himself into enough trouble at this school, and with him being on the right track now, he doesn’t want to screw that up for himself.

It’s been a very long and hard term, and Keith can’t help but wonder still if it really was worth Shiro’s time and effort to keep him here. He heard the administrator that day he was sitting outside the office after the last fight he got into. He was only given the time of day because Shiro vouched for him. He still thinks that Shiro should’ve just given up on him, but it seems like there’s no use trying to shake him off his back. It looks like Shiro is here to stay.

But what he said to him when he came back out from the office really stuck with him. It became the reason that Keith was putting much more effort into his work.

_“I will never give up on you. But more importantly, you can’t give up on yourself.”_

The first thing on Keith’s mind is that he doesn’t want to disappoint Shiro. It’s the first time in such a long time that anyone ever gave him a chance. And not only is that chance given, but Shiro is following through and making sure that he succeeds.

He’s been training very hard, as well. Shiro has him up every morning before dawn so they can run together, making Keith push his endurance. He goes into the weight rooms with Shiro every day. And by the time he’s gone to bed, he has been in the simulation room several times, working with his advisor every step of the way to make sure that his piloting techniques are flawless.

He doesn’t like to admit it, but he kind of likes the way that Shiro gives this impressed and ecstatic smile whenever he has a successful run through. Which, believe it or not, it’s very often that it’s successful.

But Shiro doesn’t let him get soft, just because he’s passing at the level he’s at. He amps it up higher. It gets tougher each time, and it forces Keith to think and work for that impressed smile that he likes seeing on his mentor’s face. He didn’t think that he’d like a challenge that much.

And when the time came for his final examination for the term, he felt like he was more than prepared. But it’s different when it’s instructors and administrators watching him. With just Shiro, he felt comfortable and fully capable of running through the different lessons and simulations. But when it’s a bunch of people in official uniforms standing right outside the room and watching his progress with an extremely judgmental eye, he can’t help but feel nervous. It’s just something that he has to power through, though. He’s not going to give up, just because the world is working against him. There is one person outside that simulation room that believes in him and will never give up on him, and that is enough motivation for him to persevere. It doesn’t matter how many voices and bodies are protesting. The only opinions that matter are Shiro’s and his own.

\--

_During Keith’s exam, Shiro stands outside_ with Iverson to watch how he does. Iverson and the other administrators are already staring at the screens apathetically, like they know he’s going to fail and just can’t wait for him to get out of here already. He’s just a troublemaker, they say. With him getting into all these fights, there’s no way that he’ll be disciplined enough to be a part of the Galaxy Garrison, they say.

They all tell Shiro that it’s a huge mistake bringing him here. He shouldn’t have vouched for him so much. They have no use for Keith at this establishment. But he’s not giving up on him. He never will, and that’s a promise. And he knows that they’re going to be eating those words soon enough.

He saw it in him, that day he was staring absentmindedly out the window when he was visiting his school. He saw it in the way his eyes light up while staring out at the endless night sky, as they discussed how exactly Shiro was going to help him get in. He’d passed those placement tests with flying colors, and despite Keith struggling with his anger and other mental anguish that Shiro can barely imagine that he’s going through, he knows that he’ll continue to be successful, whether he helps him through it or not.

Keith did struggle a little in the beginning of the simulation, though. It’s probably from the nerves, especially since a _lot_ was on the line if he didn’t pass.

Iverson’s a little trigger happy during Keith’s exam, though. “I think this test is a little above his difficulty level.”

“Enough,” Shiro mutters. “Give the kid a chance.”

“We’ve given him _plenty_ of chances.”

_Not nearly enough._

“Wait…” Another advisor is watching his gauges and the simulation from their view. Her eyes widen. “Sir, look at this.”

Keith isn’t showing off. His speed is incredible, and each checkpoint is made in record timing. He’s beaten records. _Shiro’s_ records. Before today, he was known as the most skilled pilot in the entire Galaxy Garrison’s history, with his record-breaking scores in every single category. Well. Keith just took all of his records, chewed them up, and spit them right back out. And Shiro is _beaming_ with pride.

“…Outstanding,” Iverson gasped in disbelief. He quickly looks at Shiro. “He… was failing. How did you do it?”

Still smiling, he shakes his head. “Don’t look at me. All I did was give him a little nudge.”

He saw when Keith finished the simulation. He’s staring down, breathing hard from adrenaline. There’s a look on his face that suggests that he’s nervous he failed. But that couldn’t be any further from the truth.

Shiro can’t wait to see the look on his face when he realizes that he just wowed his biggest critics. “He did it all on his own.”

\--

_Keith’s already been standing out here_ for a couple hours by the time more students come out to wait. And they’re all talking amongst themselves. He can hear people whispering about him, but it doesn’t matter to him what they think.

“Here it comes!”

One kid gasps out in the front of the now quickly gathered up circle around the bulletin board. Keith finds himself now in the far back, way behind the rest of the students despite getting here first. The senior officer has a stoic face and avoids every student’s eye as he pins up the score results.

Everyone is swarming, and Keith can’t get any closer than he is now with this mob. He’s been waiting for several hours. He can wait another couple more.

“Wait… what?!”

They’re suddenly shocked, and the entire hallway goes eerily silent while looking at something that Keith can’t see. He’s pretty sure that the guy who shouted was this tall, lanky guy that sometimes picks fights with him.

_“Cargo_ pilot?!” that same voice shouts again.

Oh yeah. That’s definitely him.

As much as he doesn’t typically care what other students think, the anxiety of not knowing his grade is eating at him. And he’s genuinely curious as to why everyone has gone so quiet.

“…What’s going on?”

Every head turns to him.

“Easy for you to say, Keith,” the former mutters. “You’re at the top of the class.”

Top… of the _class?_

“I’m what?” Finally, a path in the hallway is parted for him so that he can have a closer look.

“These scores are amazing!” Someone helps point it out for Keith. “No one has _ever_ seen them this high! Not even…”

_Shiro!_

He remembers Shiro showing him his scores. They were outstanding all throughout the board, as he’d passed with flying colors. He said so himself that he set the current records at the Galaxy Garrison, and they were yet to be broken.

Keith… just broke them!

He rushes out of there as people are still clamoring to figure out their grades. Keith excitedly hurries to any place he figures Shiro might be, just to find him and tell him the good news. Usually, at this time of day, he can be found in the advanced simulator room, his office, or the weight room. The first two places had no signs of him, so with his excitement still high, he rushes into the weight room.

And there Shiro is, able to pull back and bench press over double his body mass. He waits by the door for him to finish his set, not wanting to distract or injure him, but he’s still just so excited!

He’s so grateful that he has Shiro. If it wasn’t for him, his whole life would’ve been so much different than it is now. And yet, there is something inside him that’s eating at him still, whenever he’s in the same vicinity as him. It’s a strange feeling, kind of like butterflies are fluttering in his stomach while at the same time it’s being gnawed at by wolves. It’s a sudden onset, and it makes him feel flushed all over while his heart pounds.

The sensations are especially potent right now, as Shiro finishes his set and Keith stares at his overexerted, sweaty frame.

He hides his face briefly to compose himself and keep those feelings at bay, taking deep breaths.

“Keith?”

He gasps as he hears Shiro call for him, but when he looks back up, those feelings are finally gone as Shiro smiles at him. He rushes over, still trembling with excitement.

“Shiro, I passed!” he grins. “I passed the term! My exams… people are saying that I… t-that I—”

“—That you broke my records?” he finishes with a smile.

“You’re not mad, are you?” He shuffles his feet on the floor.

“Mad?” he chuckles. “I’m _glad_ you broke them. You’ve done so well, I’d be shocked if you _didn’t.”_

Feeling relieved, he can’t get rid of this smile that’s plastered to his face. It felt like it’s been so long since he smiled. And it’s clearly contagious, because it’s growing on Shiro’s face as well as he pats him on the back. It’s not hard enough to hurt him, but it’s still a gesture that catches Keith off guard and makes him blush.

“Congratulations, Keith,” he beams. “You deserve to feel excited. This is a great accomplishment.”

“Y-yeah, well…” He’s still modestly looking down, until he feels Shiro’s strong hand on his shoulder.

“I’m so proud of you.”

Stunned, Keith looks back up. Shiro’s eyes are softer than they were before, and his smile is absolutely genuine. He’s being honest. Shiro is _proud_ of him.

Great, those feelings are back.

And Keith is grateful that Shiro changes the subject, because he thought that he would die right there.

“But you still got some work to do,” Shiro insisted. “It’s not enough to say that you’ve broken the record. It doesn’t stop there. You have to make sure that not only you maintain that level of skills, but you improve upon them as well. That’s what makes a great pilot.”

Keith nods insistently. “Okay.”

\--

_Keith can’t sleep. He stares at_ the ceiling waiting for each hour to pass before finally his eyes grow droopy enough for him to fall asleep. A lot’s going on in his mind, and it’s not just the adrenaline high from earlier today. He can’t stop thinking about Shiro, and… it’s not exactly in a mentorship type of way, either.

He shrugs it off as typical flustered crush emotions that a teenager typically would have. But at the same time, he’s feeling this way about _Shiro._ It’s not… exactly a new phenomenon that students sometimes have crushes on their teachers or mentors, but he didn’t think that he’d be one of those people. These feelings are so new to him, but he knows well enough to realize that he can _call_ them something.

There’s no way that Shiro would feel the same way, especially with their relationship strictly tied to training, but it’s not that easy to just wave that away. He can keep them at bay, and he’s pretty good at that. But much like his training and success at becoming a pilot, it’s something that he has to improve upon each and every day.

\--

_“…Kerberos?”_

_“Yes, Shirogane,” Mr. Holt_ grins while nodding. “We need a pilot for the mission. Are you interested?”

“Am I?” Shiro gasps excitedly, but he then rushes to regain his composure. “It will be an honor to go with you and Matt, Mr. Holt.”

For a moment, he thinks that maybe he should stay. After all, he wants to make sure that Keith keeps up with his training and remembers all that he needs to in order to succeed and keep administrators like Iverson off his back. But that’s when he also realizes that he isn’t giving him enough credit. He should know better than to doubt Keith. He’ll be able to manage it on his own. He has faith in him.

Plus, this is what Shiro has been training for all this time. And now, the opportunity has come for him to show that his skills meant something. He couldn’t be more excited, even if he tried.

“Excellent,” Mr. Holt responds. “I wouldn’t want anyone else for this mission. That’s why I came to you personally.”

“Thank you, Mr. Holt, Sir.” He gives him a salute, but on the inside he’s still incredibly excited! He already can’t wait to go! And he can’t wait to tell Keith the great news.

**Author's Note:**

> [tumblr](http://tiff-the-little-wanderer.tumblr.com)   
>  [sheith blog](http://coming-home-to-you.tumblr.com)   
>  [twitter](http://twitter.com/wandering_tiff)


End file.
